UConn simply overmatched against Syracuse

The final numbers, as frightening as they are, don't fully tell the story of Friday night's game against Syracuse.

The Big East tilt was a test of wills and it is safe to say that Syracuse passed with flying colors while UConn quite honestly just couldn't match up.

Syracuse set the tone on its first drive of the game by ripping through the vaunted UConn defense with runs right up the middle. By game's end the Orange ran for 251 and passed for another 251 in a stunningly routine 40-10 victory.

“It is very upsetting,” UConn senior receiver Nick Williams said. “We had a lot invested in this game. We came out and lost by 30, it is not exactly the story line we could have foreseen. During the game when things like that happen, you can’t get down on yourself because there are still snaps to be played. You have to go out like a man and play each play hard and you can’t quit on the game or the team.”

The game was clearly won up front as the Orange dominated on the line of scrimmage both on offense and defense.

The Huskies finished with minus six yards rushing which is tied for the third worst performance by the FBS school this season and is the worst effort since the Huskies became a BCS program. On the defensive side of the ball Syracuse ran for 251 yards. For good measure, the Orange also passed for 251 yards.

“It makes me angry,” UConn senior defensive tackle Ryan Wirth said. “I am just upset. We are going to have to do back to the drawing board and have to work on that.”

UConn, which came into the game ranked sixth nationally in total defense, allowed 239 yards in the third quarter alone.

Syracuse scored on five straight possessions to turn what was expected to be a tight defensive struggle into a blowout that had UConn public relation employees searching the record books for all the wrong reasons.
The Huskies also lost starting offensive guard Adam Masters. Masters was seen leaving on crutches with his left leg wrapped.

"It is disappointing that we didn’t do a better on the zone play," UConn coach Paul Pasqualoni said. "The first possession they were bound and determined that they were going to run the ball and not have to throw it. They were going to have to establish the run and take a little pressure off the passer which is good strategy on their part.

"We did not have a good day for whatever reason. We will go back and watch the film and going through it in detail but we kind of got pushed off the ball."